I Won't Make His Tea Anymore
by ShannonEsmerelda1
Summary: Naru left for England, and now Mai only calls him by his real name. Their relationship severed, and her powers making her more independant, how will she react when he comes back to Japan, to work for her in the office? (I DON'T OWN GHOST HUNT)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Tell me what you think! I'd really appreciate the help with this one, any feedback is good feedback! You could even tell me to burn my computer for writing this if you wanted. I'm going to try and update as often as I can, but I am in college and I don't always have as much time as I hope for.~ ShannonEsmerelda1

Chapter 1

Naru left three years ago today. He didn't call or email me, or any of the others. But Lin did, surprisingly visiting often after he found out what had become of me.

You see, we'd kept the office open, putting Madoka in charge, so it wasn't hard for the stoic man to find me. His excuse to his charge? He was visiting his wife, aka Madoka. My powers had escalated to a profound level three days after Na-...after Oliver left. I couldn't call him by that name anymore. We weren't friends.

Anyways, my powers had erupted, revealing the fact that I've got both PK and ESP. My body balances the two equally, so when I use one I use an equal amount of the other one, preventing me from getting hurt. So instead of just having dreams about spirits, I can speak with them while I'm awake, hear their thoughts, sense where they are, and a few other things. And when I get angry, which is pretty often despite my best efforts, things begin to shake, glass shatters, furniture levitates; you get the picture.

So Lin helped me control the PK, just like he had with Oliver. Now I don't get angry as often as I used to, and I'm not as quick to shout about things as I once was. I don't really know why, but I was deemed able to control my powers and the office last year.

So not only is the anniversary of that jerks departure, but the one year anniversary of Madoka going back to England with Lin and my getting complete control of the office. I got to pick the clients, hire the assistants, and I got my own office! The rooms above the office had long since been renovated into apartments, by Madokas orders. She wanted to be able to keep me close when my powers had been really out of hand, and my landlady had long since decided I was a bigger nuisance than I was worth.

So I'm "big boss" now, according to Yasuhara. He's going to college, but he works at my desk and helps with the research every now and then. He lives down the street, so he usually spends most of his time here even if he wasn't working. I take classes at an online university, earning a degree in psychology and the paranormal.

Monk and Ayako had started dating about two years ago, and they'd bought a house together a couple months ago in the countryside. It wasn't too far from the office, so they came by whenever they were in town shopping or just to consult on a case for me. Ayako had bought a small practice of her own, running a health care clinic for the homeless and uninsured. Monk had left his band a while ago, and currently owns a joke shop in town that he has assistance running from one of the other band mates.

Masako is still a medium, but she doesn't do as many T.V. appearances as she used to. She's become a little more reclusive and mature as she aged, and we'd grown pretty close over time. She even admitted to me that she wasn't interested in Naru anymore, that he was a purely vain ideal she'd had at the time. She'd met a really nice boy who worked in a bookstore by her home, and they had hit it off almost immediately.

John was still a priest, helping with the local parishes and consulting for me often. His hair was slightly longer now, covering his ears, and he'd had to get glasses recently for distance. He looked adorkable with them on. He was considering rebuilding a church that was down the street from the office. I thought it was a great idea, considering we could send the really distraught clients there for confession, mass, and anything else they might find comforting that the priest had to offer.

I'd also hired an assistant for Yasu and myself, due to the fact that it was just the two of us sometimes for cases, and that wasn't exactly a prime ideal. His name was Collin Daniels. He was a medium from America who'd been sent to the BSPR offices, and then sent here later on by the request of Madoka. He was about six foot tall and muscular, with hazel eyes and a crew cut from his life with a father in the military. He lived in the apartment above the offices across from mine, and I constantly heard him up early in the morning going for runs or things of that nature.

I didn't sleep that much anymore. The dreams I had when I did sleep were always haunting me, so I tried to avoid sleep for as long as physically possible. One time, Ayako had to sedate me because I hadn't slept in a week and a half. It isn't exactly healthy I guess, but neither is waking up screaming until your lungs bleed. That's happened a few times, which is another reason I like having Collin across the hall from me. Don't get me wrong, I don't like him in a romantic way; he's like an older brother to me.

We'd become pretty close over the span of his career here, and he knows me better than most of the other SPR members, only third to Madoka and Lin. He knows that I like to spend hours in a tea shop, just smelling and choosing my favorites, mainly because I'd dragged him with me one day so he knew which one to go to when I asked him to grab some for the office. He knew that I kept a flannel blanket in the bottom drawer of my desk, and on the opposite side was a drawer filled with knitting projects. Lin had told me at one point that it was relaxing, but he didn't do it himself; so the next day, I'd signed up for some classes.

I'd managed to ignore my feelings for Oliver for a while, but then I accepted the fact that I would probably never get over him. That didn't mean I'd ever let him back in though, back into the heart I had to stitch up by hand. I especially didn't blush when Madoka called, telling me that he would be coming back in a week to take a position in the office. And I obviously didn't dream about him when I'd fallen into a fitful sleep that night. Nope. Not at all. I was more mature than that now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

You know, staring at ceilings never seems to get old. Just kidding, it gets old really quick. Unfortunately, I had for some unknown reason (I forgot them) locked up the office with the majority of my knitting in it and my laptop. I don't know why I'd done that (In denial about forgetting them), considering the fact that I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. And now all I had to do was stare at the ceiling, contemplating how tomorrow would go. Or rather, today, considering the fact that it was 4am.

I should go open the office. I thought to myself, contemplating whether or not it was really worth it to get out of bed. Or I could sit here and wonder whether or not Oliver plans on killing me, and if that's his only reason for coming back to Japan.

I got up, stretching out my tired limbs and letting loose a loud, obnoxious yawn. If the world of science could make it possible for me to instantly be awake after getting up, that'd be fabulous. I'd managed to quell my habit of falling asleep in random places, and I'd definitely been sleeping less, but that didn't mean I was a morning person.

I walked into the closet and pulled out a black pencil skirt, a black button up shirt, and a pair of red kitten heels. I guess I'd also gotten my fashion sense from that jerk. Not that I minded; the bright colors gave my sleepless mind a headache.

I went and took a quick shower, revelling in the hot water before getting out and getting dressed hurriedly. I cursed when my tights ripped, and grabbed another pair from the drawer, being careful this time. Slipping on my heels, I turned to look in the mirror, sighing at the reflection in front of me.

My hair, once short and bouncy, had grown long and voluptuous, curling more the longer it got, stopping at the small of my back. I hadn't cut it in the entire three years, apart from trimming off the dead ends. My features had become more defined, making my cheekbones a bit more pronounced and my lips a bit poutier. That wasn't why I'd sighed. My eyes, having taken the toll from when I had gotten my powers, had changed color. Or rather, one of them did. Madoka had told me this was common whenever dormant powers woke up. So now, I had one bright blue eye that reminded me who I was.

I took out the makeup bag from the top shelf, unzipping it and getting ready for the day. I put my hair into a tight bun on top of my head, leaving out my side fringe bangs. I put on some light eye shadow and mascara, and bright red lipstick. One last thing; a colored contact covering my blue eye. After that, I was ready for work.

Exiting the apartment and locking it behind me, I listened off-handedly as my heels clicked on the tiled floor, making my way down the stairs to the door of the office. I pulled out the key I kept around my neck on a chain, unlocking the door and walking in, smiling as the familiar scent of strawberry tea filled my senses.

I'd left the office the same for the most part, minus the stash of tea leaves (organized by type and caffeine dosages), and the now very colorful tea cups. It almost always smelt like strawberry tea here, considering that was both mine and Yasu's favorite. I tended to play music in the office while working, liking the energetic mood it tended to put me in.

Walking into the kitchen, I put the kettle on the stove and pulled down a container of tea leaves, smiling to myself lightly. I walked out and towards my office, picking up a remote off Collin's desk (my old desk) and hitting the shuffle button on it. My hips started swaying to the beat of the fast-paced American music, my head shaking from side to side as I moved into my office, taking one of the case files Collin had left on my desk before going back into the main room off the office, perching myself on the back of a chair as I waited for the tea kettle to whistle.

Reading over the file, I bit my lip as I scanned the papers. Daughters pushed down stairs. Wife waking up with bruises. Husband hearing voices at night. Furniture ending up on the roof somehow. Words written on the walls with a knife. I read, and was snapped out of my musings when the piercing call of the boiling water called to me.

I went into the kitchenette, pouring the hot water into the teapot and placing the tea leaves in it, preparing the tea as I hummed the words to the song playing. I'd learned English from Madoka when she was here, that way when she left it would be easier for me to communicate with BSPR.

I'd contacting Dr. Martin several times with inquiries about things he'd written in his books as of late, really enjoying our conversations. He, unlike his arrogant son, didn't seem to feel the need to call me an idiot anytime I asked him a question. His insight had actually been essential in a previous case, where the irregulars of SPR had been unavailable.

Going back into my office, I made a mental note to send Dr. Martin a thank you for that, and to have Collin call the client in the file I'd been reading. Looking at the clock I saw that it was still only 5:30 am. Six hours and thirty minutes, and counting. I mentally checked off, biting my lip before pulling out some filing.

-six hours later-

I'd gotten all the filing done, checked my emails twice, gone through the case files that seemed suspicious, and had Collin call them to let them know we wouldn't be taking the cases. We would be going to the Naki mansion tomorrow (the case file from eariler), and I'd called the gang. After explaining that Lin and Oliver would be there as well, they'd agreed immediately and would be here tomorrow at nine. I'm not sure if it's to see Oliver, or hide me from him as much as they could.

I looked to the empty teapot in front of me and sighed, standing up and stretching out my muscles for the third time that day. Maybe I should take up yoga. Nah. I thought to myself, walking out and waving to Colin, who was studying for his entrance exams.

The song All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You came on then, and I started singing along to it, smiling to myself as I brushed my hair back and out of my eyes. The once tame bun it'd been in was falling apart, now hanging loosely on the top of my head.

Glaring at the shelf in front of me, I realized that the strawberry tea had been put away on the top shelf. I wonder who did that. I thought bitterly, turning to glare at Colin for a moment before turning around again. I could ask him to get it, but I'll have to hear him complain about how short I am for a week. Stupid giant people, putting things where I can't reach them.

So, I had an adventure in front of me. I looked around and didn't spot a stool or chair in sight that I was willing to move to get the tea. Sighing, I grabbed hold of the edge of the cabinet and hauled myself onto the counter, standing on my knees as I grabbed the strawberry tea.

I threw my hands up in victory, my smile wide before I realized I'd let go of the only thing that kept me balanced. My victorious smile turned into a shocked grimace when I somehow ended up on the floor, wincing as I realized I'd hit my head, probably for the billionth time. Funny thing was, it was usually a result of the same adventure I'd just been on.

"Maybe I should invest in a step stool." I said out loud, rubbing my head as I sat up.

"Maybe you should just ask the tall people to get the tea for you." Colin remarked, standing above me with his hands on his hips, looking very much like a mother that was scolding her child.

I snorted at that thought and held my hand out to him, silently asking for his help in standing up. "Maybe you should put the tea somewhere I can reach. Especially the strawberry." I remarked bitterly, a pout forming on my lips when I was suddenly picked up and carried to the couch, dropped onto it very unceremoniously.

"I only put it up there because I think it's funny that you still have to ask for help reaching things, even in heels." He said, turning around to go back into the kitchen and get one of the squishy ice packs from the freezer.

"Asshole." I muttered, flopping back onto the couch tiredly, my hand going to my ankle when I realized that it was slightly sore. "Get two!" I called out to him, wincing when it hurt to move it. It's probably just a sprain, but I might wanna shoot a text to Ayako.

He came back in then, placing one ice pack to my head and the other ankle. It honestly looked like he was about to take advantage of me, considering his very large size and the fact that I was still laying on the couch. "Mind out of the gutter, little one." He told me, having heard my thoughts.

I smiled widely at him, laughing lightly. "You could be." I pointed out. You see, I could send people my thoughts if I wanted to, and I guess I'd been subconsciously throwing those thoughts at him.

And of course, as my luck would have it, they were early. And they brought Yasu with them. Guess Madoka had decided to pick him up after class. I squealed when suddenly I heard Yasu yelling.

"Colin! How many times do I have to tell you not to have sex with Mai on that couch! That's my couch! Use the other one!" He yelled, seemingly furious.

"Yasu!" I yelled annoyed, jumping off the couch and landing on my bad ankle. "Ow! Son of a cocksucking bitch!" I shouted, landing on the couch as tears sprung up in my eyes. "Colin, do me a favor and call Ayako? I'd really prefer not to have to go to the emergency room for something as little as this."

He nodded, and gave me a two finger salute, handing my the ice packs before going back to his desk, slapping Yasu on the back of the head as he went.

I still hadn't looked over to Oliver, and I honestly wasn't planning on doing that anytime soon. I looked up and smiled widely when I saw Madoka standing in front of me. "Hey Ma!" I yelled happily, leaping up to hug her tightly.

"Mai! It's been so long!" She yelled dramatically, twirling me around quickly. She hadn't changed a bit, apart from the fact her hair was up instead of down. "You've grown so much!" She wailed, like I was her child leaving for kindergarten.

"Okay Ma! Put me down!" I said flustered, calling her by the long-since-given pet name. She'd been like a mother to me for so long now, and Ma just fit. When she finally released me from her clutches, I saw that she had changed a bit. She looked older now, and had a couple laughter lines next to her eyes, probably from all the smiling she'd done around Lin.

Speaking of Lin, he came up behind her and gave me a soft smile. "Hello Mai." He said, giving me a slight bow in greeting before I hugged him tightly, a few tears escaping my eyes as I finally realized how much I'd missed the silent man. He'd become like a father to me when he was training me, and I was so afraid that I'd lose control again when he left.

"I missed you Fùqīn." I mumbled into his shirt, calling him by the chinese word for father. Pulling back, I sat back down, this time with Madoka at my side. "So, tell me, how is this all going to work?" I asked her, refraining from looking to my left when I felt the couch sink slightly with added weight. I knew it was Oliver. Lin had gone to my office to find something.

"Well, the three of us will obviously be taking the two remaining apartments upstairs." She started. "Unfortunately, there are only two main offices, and two desks out here. So me and Lin will be taking over his office, and you will have to share with Oliver." She told me, waiting for my reaction. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that she was dreading it.

"Why can't I share an office with you?" I asked calmly, my face a mask for the time being. I pushed aside the memory of the last time we tried sharing an office.

"Remember when I accidently knocked the tea onto your laptop? You locked me and Lin out of the building for a week." She protested, and she had a good point I suppose.

"You had keys." I defended feebly, knowing her response before it came tumbling out of her lips.

"You changed all of the locks! The only one who could come in was Colin!" She protested, and I let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine. Bring three desks in, since you're kicking Yasu out of his office as well." I muttered annoyed, standing up and ignoring the pain that shot up my leg. I hobbled about two feet before I heard it. The sound I'd been dreading, and anxiously awaiting at the same time.

"Mai." he'd called, and I knew I was done for. His voice had gotten deeper, if that was even possible, resonating so much that it made my bones vibrate.

I turned then, putting the mask back up as I finally took a look at him. His hair was more dishevelled than I remembered, but it looked intentional. He was wearing a red shirt, and I offhandedly realized it was my favorite color, and dark-washed jeans. He'd finished mourning Gene, it seems. His eyes, still a deep cobalt, bore deeply into mine as I took in his appearance. His arms looked larger, like he'd been lifting weights, and his shoulders slightly broader. He's not a teenager anymore Mai. He got older just like you.

"What is it, Oliver?" I asked him, tilting an eyebrow just like he'd done to me countless times before.

He visibly flinched at the use of his real name. Had he been expecting any different, after three years of no contact and no answers? "Can we talk?" He asked me, looking almost like a kicked puppy.

"No. I'm busy." I said, coldly, turning and going into my office, waving my hand as I did and slamming the door shut behind me, my anger making my powers over- flow.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Twenty minutes after slamming the door_

_I don't know why I said I was busy. Now none of them will come in here. I mean sure, I wanted to keep Oliver out, but I wanted to be able to catch up on things with Madoka and Lin. And I finished all the work I had to do ages ago._ I thought to myself boredly as I sat in my desk chair, looking at my nails and wondering if I had any bright red nail polish in my apartment.

_I wonder when Ayako will get here. Did she even answer when Colin called? _I pondered for a moment, before getting up with a sigh. After a couple steps, I stopped, leaning against my desk to kick off the heels that were still on my feet. After successfully discarding the offending stilts, I walked to the door and opened it, sticking my head out.

"Colin?" I called, and saw him raise his head from one of the billion textbooks he'd had it stuffed in today.

"Yes?" He answered, turning to look at me with an inquisitive glance.

_Did you call Ayako?_ I asked him silently, sending my thoughts in his direction. _If not don't bother, it's probably just a sprain and I'll be seeing her in the morning._ I told him.

"Alright. Sorry, I had actually forgotten to call her when the tea kettle started to overflow. I had to put up a fresh pot, so that'll be ready soon." He said, and I smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, you're a doll. I can make the tea, get back to studying." I told him, going into the tiny kitchen and heard him chuckle behind me.

"I thought you said you were busy?" He asked, and I could practically hear him smirking. His voice always had a slight lift to it on the parts he said with sarcasm, and it was obvious to anyone who'd spent more than eight minutes with him.

I poked my head out to see that the others had left, minus Yasu, who could be seen through the open door of the office, packing his things to move to the other desk. I'd have felt bad, except Lin usually made him move whenever he was in town anyways.

"I lied. Where are the others?" I asked him, biting my lip. _Meaning, where's Na- Oliver?_ I corrected myself mentally, then regretting it.

"They went to go get two more desks, and unpack I think. Madoka said to tell you, and I quote, 'We'll be back in three hours. No more sex on the couch.'" He said, smirking widely.

"Jerk." I told him with a glare, preparing the tea before going to sit on his desk, bored out of my mind. I started to chew on my bottom lip subconsciously, staring at the wall as I thought about how awkward this would be.

"You're doing it again." Yasu yelled from the other room, before walking in carrying a box of what looked like research, but considering the fact that this was Yasu they could be love letters to his "dearest Monk".

"Doing what?" I asked, releasing my now sore-in-one-spot lip from it's makeshift prison.

"Thinking too much. Stop overthinking the situation. Stop worrying about whether or not you'll be a good boss. Stop seeing Naru as Naru, just as another one of the researchers working for you. Stop thinking about the day he left. And stop denying that you've still got it bad for him." Yasu told me, reaching around me to hug my tiny frame to his chest.

"But… what if he wants to talk about what happened after he left? Or about the talk before he left? Or about my powers? Or about my old apartment? Or anything?" I asked him, my speech increasing in speed as I continued to scrounge up all the possibly, terrifying situations I could get myself into.

"After he left is nothing huge. Your powers were out of hand, but Lin helped. It's personal and you don't want to get into it. Your old landlady didn't like having a psychic in the building, it scared the other tenants. And as for what you two discussed before he got on the plane, well, that's up to you, Mai." He said, pulling out of the hug to look me directly in the eyes. "Do you still love him?"

"I don't know… I'm pretty sure I do. But people change. And it might not be for the better." I cautioned myself, not so much trying to convince Yasu as I was attempting to persuade my own, feeble heart. "And I don't think I want to let him in again, when it will just end in pain and awkwardness."

"But he's still Naru. He missed you Mai. Maybe it's best if you let him in? If not now, then at some point?" Yasu said, giving me little room to argue.

"I just...fine. But not right now. Right now he isn't Naru...he's Oliver Davis, a man who lied to me for a long time about who he was." I said bitterly, and felt another pair of arms wrap around me. Looking over, I saw that it was Colin, who'd taken it upon himself to stop studying and console his distressed boss with a hug, when she wasn't too fond of people being inside her personal bubble these days.

"It's real sweet that you guys are trying to make me feel better, but I'm not exactly a fan of you both hugging me at the same time." I said, worming my way out of the would-be group hug, which Yasu would most likely refer to as a threesome at some point. He'd taken to sexually harassing Colin just as much as he sexually harassed Monk.

"Alright alright, how about we close the office early and watch a movie? You can pick, if you go pack for the case first." Yasu suggested, and I bit my lip.

"Anything?" I asked, looking at them with wide, hopeful eyes. I really hoped that they agreed to that. I could go for watching Heath Ledger sing like an idiot.

"Anything." Colin agreed, and I threw my arms up happily.

"10 Things I Hate About You!" I yelled, forgetting my ankle completely and running to the door. "I'll go get the movie, you two close up and make the popcorn!" I yelled, tossing the key to Yasu before darting up the steps to my apartment.

Ignoring the door that was open across the hall, I unlocked my door quickly, running inside and into my bedroom, pulling a suitcase out from under the bed. Quickly, I pulled out a weeks worth of shirts and pants/ skirts, and all the other essentials. Running out of the room and into the bathroom, I grabbed all that stuff and put it in a tiny carrying case for the morning, after I took a shower.

Walking into the main room, I halted in my tracks. _Hold up. Where'd I leave the movie last time I had it?_ I thought to myself, biting my lip and putting my hands on my hips. Hearing footsteps behind me, I didn't bother to turn, figuring it was Yasu telling me the popcorn was done. "Do you know where I left the movie? I can't remember what I did with it last time we watched it." I asked him, walking over to the couch and pulling up the cushions, checking to see if the case had fallen in between the cushions.

"I don't recall ever watching a movie with you." Came the deep voice of someone I really didn't want to see. Turning, I saw him leaning against my door frame, looking around the apartment with a burning curiosity in his eyes. He still wore the red shirt, except the top two buttons were now undone, showing off the peekings of some black mark on his shoulder.

"What do you want Oliver?" I asked, my voice suddenly taking on the same cold tone he'd used with me constantly. _I don't know why I hadn't noticed it sooner. He was always so cold. I should never have deluded myself into loving him._

I saw him flinch again, but he stayed where he was, leaning against the wood with a mask on his face. "We need to talk." He pointed out, as though that weren't already obvious to me.

_I know we need to talk you idiot. I'm not that stupid assistant of yours anymore._ I thought angrily. Then I had an idea. "Oliver, do you own a phone?" I asked him.

He looked at me, visibly confused for about two seconds before the mask came back. "Yes, but I don't see what that has to do with anything." He told me, and his voice made it sound like he was speaking with a child, trying to explain things in the simplest of ways.

Ignoring the last part of that statement, I walked closer to him slowly, still keeping my distance. I didn't know if he'd do the same thing Yasu does, grabbing me in a giant bear hug until I forgive him. That only works because I don't particularly enjoy being squeezed. "Do you have an email?" I asked, choosing to instead answer with another question.

"Obviously, Mai. Why wouldn't I have an email?" He asked me perplexed, and then I could see the puzzle pieces fit in his mind.

"Right, well I happen to know for a fact that SPR asks those things when hiring employees, as I am now in charge. So I know that you could've easily gotten it from the filing systems in BSPR while you were gone for three years." I said, putting an extra emphasis on how long it'd been. "Which also means you could've called, or emailed me, and just explained there that you were an idiot who seemed to think I loved his dead twin brother, or that you weren't interested in a stupid little orphan girl like me. That you only took pity on me when you hired me, having known that I was an orphan."

He went to say something, but I held my hand up, cutting him off. "I honestly don't want to hear what you have to say anymore Oliver. I might have wanted it three years ago, fuck, even two. But now? Now all I want is to be left alone. I can't trust you anymore, not when you lied to me about who you were, and not when you left me in the dark for so long."

I turned around, having spotted the movie out of the corner of my eyes. "I understand that you had your reasons, but I don't want to hear it anymore. I deserved an explanation a long time ago, despite what that piggish ego of yours might have convinced you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a movie to watch and you're in my apartment." I told him, looking pointedly at the door.

His mask was gone when I looked him in the eyes again. Instead, it was replaced with the eyes of a broken man, who'd been slapped in the face by some girl. But I couldn't go soft on him now. He needed to know that he'd have to work for it if he ever wanted my forgiveness. I wasn't the same girl from before, that was for sure.

He sighed dejectedly. "Alright…" He said, turning around and going into the apartment across the hall. He shut the door quietly behind him, and it was only when I was sure that he wouldn't open it angrily and come storming back into my apartment that I left, shutting and locking the door behind me.

I went downstairs and silently started the movie, letting my hair down and sitting in between Yasu and Colin. Yasu handed me the bowl and I held it in my lap, watching the movie quietly. Neither of them asked what had happened, and I suspected that one of them had come to get me and overheard the argument/pretty civil discussion, and decided to sneak away before they were caught.

After the movie had ended I'd stood up and gone back to my apartment, climbing into bed, suddenly so tired that I couldn't help but fall asleep for the first time in three days. My eyes shut quickly, falling into a peaceful sleep that would soon turn fitful, filled with my screams.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- **Case 1, The Bleeding Eyes, Day 1.**

At first, I was in a meadow, lying in tall grass watching the clouds pass overhead. My hair was braided to the side, with a purple ribbon running through it. I was wearing a white, lacy sundress that stopped mid-thigh, rustling in the breeze every now and then. I closed my eyes happily, enjoying the cool breeze that graced my skin every now and then, bathing in the sunlight.

And then I felt someone moving next to me. Turning, I saw Gene sitting there, watching me with a sad smile. "Hello Mai…" He said, his eyes showing regret and pain.

"Hello Gene… it's been a long time." I said, sitting up to face him eye to eye. I hadn't seen Gene since Oliver left, and after a few months with no one to guide me around the astral plane, I assumed that he'd just passed on. It had saddened me at first, because I'd lost one of my best friends, but then I was happy that he was finally happy. Apparently, I was wrong in my assumptions.

"I know, I'm sorry. I had to help Noll with some things." He said, and I nodded. He looked tired, for a ghost that is.

"I thought you'd moved on." I told him, moving to hug him tightly. "It's good to see you and all, but I'm kind of upset that you haven't yet."

"I'll move on after both you and Noll die, or retire. In his case, the former will most likely come first." He said, causing me to chuckle lightly.

"So you're like the unofficial medium of SPR?" I asked, and felt him nod his head. I couldn't exactly see it, considering he was still hugging me tightly. "You've got something to show me, don't you?" I asked, and felt the nod again, this time more hesitant.

"It's one of those dreams Mai…" He told me, and I stiffened for a moment before nodding.

"Alright, let's get this over with then." I said with a sigh, standing up. And then the winds became more intense, blowing the scenery away with them until I was in a completely different location. Looking down, I saw that I was in a kimono now, and was shorter. My hair was short, considering the lack of weight on the top of my head, and looking at my hands I saw that this person was much paler than I.

I looked around, and saw that I was in a basement, in a tiny hide-away under the stairs. It seemed like this spot would've been impossible to find if you weren't a child/ But I was cowering in a corner, and I felt nothing but intense fear and sadness.

"Akemi!" I heard people yelling, like they were searching for someone. It was then I realized that Akemi must be my name. "Akemi!" They yelled again, but instead of going out to find them, I cowered further into the hide-away.

And then there was a man in front of my face, seemingly out of nowhere. He was old, his gut protruding and his hair thinning, and his teeth yellowing. "Akemi. It's time to leave. Your grandmother and I are going to take you back to our house now." He'd said, and the fear spiked.

"NO! This is my house! I'm staying here until they come home!" I yelled, and heard a childish voice coming from my lips.

"Akemi. They aren't coming home. You need to come out of there, now. It isn't safe." He'd said, and my head shook back and forth; or rather, Akemi's did.

"NO!" I yelled again, and felt my arm being pulled on harshly. He'd grabbed my roughly, with a lot of force for such an old guy. "NO! I don't want to go with you!"

"That is enough! You will do as I say! Do you hear me?!" He yelled, spit flying out of his mouth and hitting the side of my face.

I struggled uselessly in his grip, his hand on my arm tightening painfully. "Let me go!" I yelled, and then I felt it. His hand had collided with my face so harshly that my head whipped to the side, causing me to scream out in pain. But I wasn't done struggling. "Let me go!" I yelled again, this time more shrilly than before. And I felt him hit me again, this time in the gut.

And then, the scene was fading and my vision was going black. _I'm dying._ I thought painfully, realizing that this man was killing the little girl.

I was screaming bloody murder in my sleep, not hearing the loud pounding on my door that came from Colin, Oliver, Lin, and Madoka. I kept screaming, my body arching off the bed as my throat started to ache. And then I was awake, my eyes widening as I panted breathlessly in my bed.

I was vaguely aware of the pounding continuing, this time more desperate now that the screams had stopped. I stood subconsciously, heading towards the door and having to lean against the counter for support. My hair was wild, sticking to my forehead, and my night-clothes were rumpled and twisted in weird ways from all the tossing and turning I'd most likely done.

I walked up to the door and unlocked it, only for it to be immediately opened and knock me over. I fell onto the floor with an oompf!, and glared at the person who'd opened the door, their hand still on the knob. It was Lin.

"Are you alright, Mai?" I heard Madoka ask from behind her husband, moving around him to help me up. She was in her bright pink night-robe, her eyes scanning my form for injury, her protective instincts kicking in.

"I'm fine, Madoka. I'm fine. It was just a dream." I told her, and she frowned. I saw her mind working quickly, the gears turning and her eyes scanning my ragged, sweating, and a bright red blotch on my cheek that would most likely bruise by the time the irregulars of SPR got here in the morning.

"Last time I called, you told me that you weren't having first person dreams as often." She said accusingly, and I had to physically resist the urge to roll my eyes. The others had moved into the apartment and shut the door behind them, and were now watching the two of us with keen interest.

"Yes well, it's easy to avoid dreams when you don't sleep." I told her as though it were obvious, and felt her hand connect with the back of my head. "Ow! What the fuck was that for?!" I yelled, annoyed.

"Don't use that tone with me! I get enough sarcasm from Noll, I don't need it from you as well. And don't be as stupid as to not sleep because of this!" She yelled at me, looking like a mother with her hands on her hips.

"I'd rather not sleep than die every time I close my eyes." I muttered under my breath, and then my eyes widened as the memory of what I dreamt hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt my stomach churn and ran from the room to the bathroom, emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet, tears stinging my eyes as I heaved painfully.

I felt someone pulling my hair out of my face, and once I was positive I wouldn't vomit again, I turned to see who it was. It was Oliver, standing there in his blue pajamas, just like he had in the Urado case all those years ago. "Are you alright?" He asked, his voice hoarse with sleep and for a moment I forgot all the anger I felt towards him.

I nodded quietly, standing and rinsing my mouth out in the sink quickly. "I'll be fine. I just need to have a cup of tea or something." I told him, moving past him to leave the bathroom. _Why is he being so considerate? He was never this nice before._ I thought to myself confused.

I saw Colin in the kitchenette, a teapot in front of him and a kettle on the stove. He was used to waking me up at night after I'd screamed until my throat bled. I went and sat on the couch, my body shaking slightly as I saw Lin sitting across from me with his laptop. He always took record of any dreams I had, in case they ever pertained to a case we'd get. I once had a dream about a case we hadn't taken for another month.

And so, I told him everything that had happened; the girls name, how her supposed grandpa had beaten her, everything. Once he was positive that I wouldn't recall anything else, he'd closed the laptop with a nod. And then he gave me a look that clearly told me I was in trouble. Probably for not telling him about the sleeping habits.

"I didn't want to worry you." I told him, and heard the almost inaudible sigh that left his lips. "I could handle it on my own." I insisted, even though I knew I couldn't.

"When did your dreams progress to leaving you physically injured?" he asked calmly, looking pointedly at my cheek that still stung.

My hand went up to it subconsciously, and then I placed both hands in my lap again. "Two weeks after you and Madoka left for England, I'd woken up with a gash in my stomach. I'd had a dream that night. After it was healed completely, I went to a tattoo parlor and had them tattoo a charm on my back. I only wake up with bruises now, no gashes or cuts." I told him, and saw his eyebrows raise when I said tattoo.

I heard Colin choke on his tea, which he'd distributed a few minutes ago. He was sat on one side of me, with Madoka on the other side. Oliver was leaning against the counter, his mask up now that he was fully awake, watching me with an emotion in his eyes that I couldn't read.

"When did you get a tattoo? You never take a day off!" Colin asked, shock evident in his expression. This time, I did roll my eyes, not really caring about his stupidity.

"Yes well, when you don't sleep often, going to a tattoo parlor at ten at night isn't exactly not an option." I told him, a headache beginning to form from all the shouting. Sure, I'd done most of it, but I didn't exactly enjoy listening to them do it.

"No other incidents?" Lin asked, raising an eyebrow at me expectantly. He knew that I hid things and played them off as unimportant. Most of the time, they were. I mean honestly, I probably didn't even need to tell him that I'd been stabbed in my sleep.

"No, no other incidents to report." I told him, standing up. "I suggest you all go back to bed, we've got an early start in the morning." I said, picking up the now empty tea cups and bringing them to the sink, cleaning them out.

Madoka hugged my waist before she left the room, dragging Lin with her. Colin stayed until the teacups were away before going back to his own apartment. Oliver, however, stayed where he was, watching me as I cleaned up the now messy apartment.

"Is there something you needed from me, Oliver?" I asked him, not turning from wiping up the tea Colin had spilled before. I knew he was watching me, and it was only slightly unnerving. It'd be creepier if he didn't have the emotional span of a dead fish.

"You're not going back to bed, are you?" He asked, although it sounded a lot like an assumption.

"I never said I was, and, I don't see why that's any of your business." I said boredly, turning now to see him still standing there, the same unreadable emotion in his eyes. _Why's he looking at me like that? He normally only has three emotions- angry, furious, and craving-some-fucking-tea._ I wondered curiously for a moment.

"Why not?" He asked, and my brows furrowed in confusion. He was looking at me expectantly, as though he hadn't asked the most childish question in the history of intelligent thinking.

"What do you mean 'why not'? It's my business, and considering the fact that I am now your boss, not the other way around, I don't have to tell you anything. Get out of my apartment Na-" I stopped myself in my rant, my cheeks flushing as I realized what I was about to do. I was about to play into his trap, getting angry with him, making myself vulnerable to whatever it was that he had to say to me. I couldn't do that again.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, turning and walking into my room, shutting the door behind me and not really caring if he left or not at this point. I went over to my closet, pulling out a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, changing and pulling on my sneakers. _I can't believe that I'm literally running away from my problems._ I thought dejectedly, finding the MP3 armband to hold my ipod on, plugging the headphones into my ears and letting the loud, obnoxious, beating bass of American Rock break my eardrums.

Looking at the clock on the nightstand briefly, I saw that it was 5:13. _I got five hours of sleep. A new record._ I thought bitterly.

I left my room, looking and seeing that Oliver had made himself comfortable on my couch. Turning around with a 'tch' escaping my lips, I left the apartment and slammed the door behind me, jogging down the steps before breaking into a faster paced run and heading into my usual routine.

When I got back to the office, Lin was already outside loading up the van. Looking at my phone, I saw that it was 7:26. We would be leaving in exactly one hour and thirty four minutes. Walking over to the boxes of equipment, I began to help Lin pack up the van, finding no reason to speak.

"Are you going to forgive him?" Lin asked me, surprising me completely. Lin wasn't exactly a vocal man.

"I might. But not right now. I've got a case to work." I said, putting the last box into the van. "I'm gonna go change and bathe. Can you make sure Colin is up and ready? And then ask him to fill two of the camping thermos' with tea? Earl Grey and Strawberry?" I asked him.

He nodded, shutting the van door and going inside. I walked up to my apartment, ignoring the door across from mine that was, once again, wide open. It was almost as if he wanted me to walk in. It was cocky and arrogant, as if he actually expected me to.

I shut my door loudly, plugging my phone into the dock so it would charge while I got ready. I went and took a shower, taking my time so the steaming hot water would relax my muscles to the best of its' abilities. I got dressed quickly, putting on a pair of black jeans, a red long sleeved shirt, red heels, and a black jean vest. A little eye makeup and blood red lipstick and I was ready, my long hair out loose.

"Mai! Time to go!" Colin yelled through the door, banging on it continuously until I opened it, glaring at him with my backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Would you shut your trap?" I asked him, glaring hard. "I'm coming, so let's go." I told him annoyed.

I saw that Oliver was in the passenger seat of the van when I got down, and frowned. I suppose he expected Lin to drive, and that he would be in the front as usual. But as of late, I drove while Lin and Yasu sat in the back doing research. Colin got car sick unless he sat in a front seat. I let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that we'd have to fix the seats.

"Oliver, get out of the car. Colin sits in front, to avoid an ungodly amount of vomit covering the van floor." I told him, opening his door and going to stand next to the van, looking at it thinking for a second. _Colin in passenger, that's a given. But now the back is too small to fit all three boys. And Monk's already left with the others. Guess I'm not driving._ I thought annoyed.

"Lin, you're driving. Yasu, Oliver, in the back." I told them, climbing into the van to sit in the middle.

The car ride consisted mainly of Yasu snoring loudly in my ear, as he'd packed his laptop up and put it in one of the boxes, and had nothing else to do. When I handed Oliver his thermos of tea, I thought I saw a sparkle of hope in his eyes. The rest of the ride was quiet, save for Colin yelling at Yasu to stop flirting him.

"The clients have already checked into a hotel nearby, as I interviewed them about everything necessary before we accepted the case. If we need anything else from them, we will be going to them. This not only ensures their safety during our investigations, and there will be no chance of any of them accidentally tampering with the equipment." I said when the van stopped, adding that last bit mainly for Oliver's benefit. I didn't really want to listen to him question my methods. "They've left the door unlocked, only having left this morning. Besides, the rumors surrounding this house would keep out even the bravest of burglars."

Ayako and the others were waiting for us, and it seemed like her and Bou-san were arguing loudly to each other. "Alright girls, cut the crap. Get to setting up." I told them harshly, grabbing two boxes of equipment and leading the way inside, already having looked up a floor plan of the house.

I walked into the main hall of the mansion, going up a set of stairs and to the left. Three doors down and I was in the base, setting down the equipment and beginning to unpack.

Three hours later, the base was set up. "I'm going to do a reading of the building. Masako, would you care to join me?" I asked her, earning a small smile and nod.

Monk, Yasu, John, and Colin had gone to setup the cameras and take initial temperature readings.

We walked down the halls quietly, her hands folded in front of her while mine trailed the walls, sensing the feelings of the spirits in the house. "Do you feel it?" Masako asked quietly, and I knew what she was talking about almost instantly.

Tears brimmed in my eyes as I felt the sadness of the spirits around me. "It's her...the little girl from my dream. She's so lost." I said sadly, the tears now trickling down my cheeks slowly.

"You've gone and done it again haven't you?" Masako asked me, already knowing the answer to the obvious question.

"Done what?" I asked her, feebly dodging the inquiry.

"You're already attached to the spirit. You know how much it hurts you if we have to end up exorcising them." She chastised, turning to look at me sternly. Masako had become like an older sister to her, despite the fact that Mai was indeed a year older. She'd offered her a lot of wisdom when it came to feeling what the spirits felt, and offered some advice that Gene had neglected to give her before the time where he'd disappeared.

"I'll be fine Masako. Let's just finish the walkthrough." I muttered, and we did just that. The rooms where I felt the most sadness were one of the smaller bedrooms, the basement, and the attic.

It was well into the night when the others went to bed, leaving Mai to sit on her laptop and research while Oliver watched the monitors.

When she felt her phone buzz in her pocket, she looked at it confused to see a text from an unknown number. "I was thinking about you yesterday, and the day before, and I am now and I will forever." The message read.

"Who is this?" I sent back, slightly flattered and slightly creeped out.

"Just someone who notices you." The unknown texter answered, causing me to bite my lip confused. I added the number to my contacts, and then the clock struck twelve, signaling the end of day one on the job.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- **Case 1, The Bleeding Eyes, Day 2**

Day two was a lot more eventful than the previous day. I'd gone to my room around 3am, when Lin came into the room to take over watching the monitors. So, I'd stood up and stretched out my stiff muscles before gathering my laptop and heading out.

Oliver had walked me to my room, stating that I was too much of a danger magnet to be trusted on my own. He was insufferable to the utmost degree, and it never ceased to amaze me how quickly I could detest his very existence.

My room was farthest down the hall, as far as I could get from the other two bedrooms. I'd done this on purpose, knowing that my screams would wake the others up if I fell asleep. It was also because I wasn't exactly keen on the idea of Oliver barging into my room when the nightmares started again.

So, I'd crawled into the massive bed and taken out my reading glasses, putting my hair up into a messy bun and started to read the latest psychology book. It was written by Dr. Davis, Oliver's father.

Halfway into the book, which was probably only a couple hours later, I noticed that the room was suddenly colder. "Hello?" I asked, sensing that a spirit had come into the room.

And then, she was there. Akemi. She was short, about the height of a six year old, and she had long curly brown hair. Her eyes were a light blue, shining with the innocence of a child. She wore a purple kimono, her hands folded in front of her much like Masako normally would. She looked just like any other child, except for the fact that she had blood coming out of her eyes, much like tears would.

"Hello," I said, crawling forward on the bed to sit up, placing the book besides myself. "Akemi, I'm here to help you." I told her, hoping she would react well. I was never that lucky.

She raised her left hand towards me, palm facing forward. I felt my throat closing up slightly, and started to cough. When I felt my lungs violently constrict, I knew I had to get out. And then she stopped crying, the blood dripping down her chin ceased, and she smiled wickedly at me. I put my hand to my cheek and pulled it away to find that I was now the one crying blood.

Panicking, I felt the pressure in the room rise. _I'm losing control._ I thought for a moment, and then there was a banging on the door. _I'm losing control. _I thought to myself again, my eyes widening as I paid no mind to the banging. _I'm losing control._

The words repeated in my mind over and over again as I backed up on the large bed, desperate to get as far from the spirit as I could. What was once seen as a innocent little girl had been distorted into something vile, something that didn't have any regard for human life.

The little girl raised her hand higher now, as if she was going to slap me in the face. It was strange, because I knew she was across the room, but I was almost terrified of what would happen when that hand came forward. It was a feeling of foreboding. I knew that the moment her hand came slashing down towards me, I would be a goner.

Just before she did so, the door was blasted open by a ray of PK energy, and I realized that I was not the reason for the drop in air pressure. Oliver stood there, leaning against the door frame and breathing heavily, his hands out which meant he'd been the one to do it. Not that there was anyone else with us who could. Well, there was Colin, but his abilities were harshly under-trained, making it hard for him to create a blast with even half of that effect.

Looking back to where the ghost had been, I realized it was gone. When the mattress dipped down from added weight, I looked over and saw Oliver sitting next to me. Finally able to breath again, I took a deep breath and sat back against the headboard.

"Thanks," I muttered begrudgingly, not enjoying the fact that I was suddenly the damsel in distress again. I'd made it so long on my own. "How'd you know she was here?" I asked.

"Gene told me." He said, laying back in an attempt to calm down. His breathing was still ragged, his body not enjoying the torture that it was put through anytime he used PK.

"Are you alright?" I asked, and he looked up at me like I was the insane one. He's the idiot that overexerted himself all the time.

"You were crying blood not even minutes ago, as well as being choked by a malevolent spirit, and you want to know if I'm alright?" He asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "That much PK can cause a lot of strain on one's body. I know, because I've seen you overexert yourself before. Now, give me a straight answer or I'll tell on you to Lin. Are you alright?" I asked again. making sure to enunciate the words clearly, so it sounded like I was talking with a stubborn child. To the onlooker, I probably was.

I could've sworn there was a smile on his lips for the smallest of moments, but it wasn't there long enough for me to decide if I'd actually seen it. "I'm fine. Just tired." He told me, and I nodded.

"That's probably me helping. Lin told me that me being around you would have virtually the same effect as having Gene around. He said it's the same as me not destroying my body because I'm both a perfect medium and able to use PK." I said with a shrug.

"So, essentially, with you around, I could use my powers anytime I wanted to?" He asked me, suddenly much more alert than he was before.

My eyes narrowed to near slits, not liking the way he was so suddenly interested in me. "Essentially. But I'm not your toy Oliver, you can't just use me to use your powers." I told him angrily. _Sure, I still loved him, but not to the point where I'd be okay with only being with him so he could use me._ I thought to myself, scooting away on the bed.

"I wasn't suggesting something like that. I had an idea." He said, and I definitely saw a light pink blush rising on his cheeks.

"What kind of idea?" I asked him, feeling myself blush as well.

"I propose an experiment. You have nightmares any time you sleep right? That hurt your body to some degree?" He asked me, referring to the bruise on my cheek that stemmed from my dream of Akemi. After my nod, he continued. "Gene used to have nightmares like those when we were kids. He'd crawl into my bed, and then the dreams would stop. He'd sleep peacefully." He stated, letting me connect the dots.

"You want me to sleep in the same bed as you?" I asked him, just to make sure I was hearing him correctly.

"Well...yeah." He said, and the blush that was definitely there before increased.

"Well, I'm not tired. And I have to get back to work. Maybe some other time." I told him awkwardly. _This guy's on two different ends of the spectrum, at the same time._ I thought to myself, standing up. "Thanks for the offer and all, but I'll pass." I told him, going into the bathroom and changing into comfortable clothes, seeing no point in dressing professionally when the clients were staying somewhere other than this house.

Walking into the base, I saw that Oliver was now seated on the couch, his expression as stoic as it usually was. It almost made me question whether or not he'd actually been in my room before.

I wrote down my accounts of what had happened, triple checking them to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything before giving it to Lin.

"We should put a camera up in that room," he told me, giving me the same look he gave Oliver when he thought he wouldn't listen to him.

"I'll consent to that, on the condition that no audio be set up," I told him. _I'd rather not have my screams recorded for all of BSPR and JSPR to hear when the case was looked over._ I thought to myself, ignoring the look I'd gotten from Colin and Yasu.

Several hours later, I found myself at my wits end. Yasu was running out of good flirtation techniques (he'd used at least eighty since I'd walked in), Ayako was probably giving Monk a concussion with the amount of damage she'd done with her purse, and if I had to hear Madoka and Masako whispering about my love life for one more second, I would probably implode.

"Mia… you're projecting your thoughts again." I heard from behind me as Colin hugged me, his chin on top of my head. He always called me Mia, despite the fact he knew exactly how to say my name.

I sighed when I realized he was right. I'd been sending out angry waves, hitting Ayako and Bou-san mainly. "Sorry guys. I tend to project subconsciously these days." I said apologetically, leaving out the fact that I only did it when I was intensely flustered.

I saw Oliver glaring at Colin out of the corner of my eye, and wondered why he would feel anger towards him. Colin hadn't done anything to him as far as I knew, and it was highly unlikely that the two knew each other outside of SPR. "Oliver, is there a reason you're looking at my assistant as though you want his head on a plaque?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow condescendingly just like he used to.

"Just the fact that he's being so unprofessional in the workplace." He said, gesturing to the arms wrapped around me.

I scoffed. "Oh really? Well, if I remember correctly, just about everyone here acts in an unprofessional manner, going by your standards. And yet, the only one you're annoyed with is the one who's decided to comfort me." My eyes were sending figurative daggers at him, stabbing him harshly just as my words had done, pointing out subtly that he was jealous.

I felt, rather than heard, Colin's deep laugh reverberating behind me. "Dude chill, Mia is like a sister to me. Nothing more, nothing less." He said, and I couldn't help but smirk. If the ever intuitive Colin (please note the heavy sarcasm) had noticed Oliver's jealousy, then the rest of the group most definitely had. Turning to see, I noticed that Yasu was trying to hide his laughter behind his hand.

Oliver had just stood up and left the room, his eyes as cold as they'd been when he'd- _No Mai. Don't think about that again._ I had to stop myself mentally, realizing with a start that I'd been watching him leave.

Seconds after he left the room, everything had gone back to the way it was before. Noisy. The only difference was that Lin and Madoka were now talking in hushed tones, while Masako had started a conversation with John.

And so, I was left to my thoughts, which somehow made their way back to Oliver. _I should talk to him… hear him out. Maybe what he has to say won't be so bad. I mean, he'll probably just apologize for being so harsh, even though he doesn't have feelings for me, and want things to be less awkward with us._

I sighed and stood up, not noticing the glances Lin was sneaking at me. He always knew what was going on, even if I didn't notice that he did. Stretching slightly as I walked out of the room, I looked down the hall to see if I could spot him.

Unfortunately for me, he was no where in sight. _Stupid jerk. Walking too fast._ I thought spitefully, heading in the general direction of the kitchen, figuring he would be there.

Walking into the kitchen, I saw that it was oddly empty. "Whatever… I'll just make tea for when I do find him." I thought, my annoyance peaking as I walked over to the stove and put the kettle on. Taking two thermos' out of the box we kept them in, I began preparing the tea in them. I'd found that it was easier to make two pots of tea and fill each thermos with that much, as it was easier than having to go to the kitchen every half hour when the cups got cold or were empty.

When the tea was done, I left the room tiredly. "Stupid ass. Not being anywhere in sight." I mumbled angrily. "Why can't things ever be easy? First he comes back and makes things awkward, asks me to sleep with him, and now he disappears. I mean sure, only sleeping was implied, but that's still intensely awkward."

I didn't notice as I was mumbled that I had, at some point or another, made my way back to the rooms we were sleeping in. I trudged up to Oliver's door, banging on it with my knuckles and still holding the tea.

When he answered the door, his hair was dripping wet, making it blatantly clear that he had taken a shower. The other factor giving that fact away? He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a fucking towel. Talk about making it awkward.

CLearing my throat, I forced my eyes to stray no further from his chest. I didn't want to fuel his ego any more than I had in the past. "I made tea." I muttered embarrassed, thrusting the thermos towards him and looking away.

"Mai…" He started, and I bristled. I could not have this conversation when he was practically naked.

I cut him off, preventing the words he was about to say from leaving his lips. His lips that had water dripping over them…. snap out of it Mai! "If you really want to have that conversation, get dressed and meet me in my room." I said coldly, turning on my heel and going back to my room.

I sat on my neatly made bed, pulling out my laptop and starting up some more research on spirits. _Maybe if the spirits are children when they die, they become malevolent at a quicker rate. They haven't really matured enough to think rationally, unlike adults. Adult spirits generally take years upon years before they lash out. _I thought to myself.

Deciding to act upon my thoughts, I wrote out a proposal to research the idea and sent it to Martin Davis. After writing out a well thought out email, and signing at the bottom, I added a P.S. "By the way, your son is driving me up a wall. I put up with it because I love Luella." And it was true. Luella was like a second mother to me anytime they visited the Japan branch. It was all business the first day they'd come, but by the second Luella was hugging me and over-reacting about things like I was her daughter.

Just as I had hit send, there was a knock on the door, bringing me out of my thoughts. _Here we go…_ I thought, dreading the conversation that was about to take place.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Walking to the door, I paused. _I could pretend I fell asleep. Tell him in the morning that he'd taken to long to get ready. That he takes longer than Ayako._ I thought to myself, almost convincing my legs to turn me around and climb back in bed.

"Mai…" I heard through the door, and I knew I couldn't do that. He sounded broken, like if I didn't open the door he would just stand there all night, staring at it until it opened in the morning.

I reached forward, my hand pausing on the doorknob again, just like I'd paused in front of it. And then it was open, and I was staring directly into Oliver's eyes. They were as blue as I remembered, sparkling even. And they gave away every emotion he was feeling, the one thing that wasn't hidden behind a mask. "Come in." I said, stepping back and leaving the door open.

I walked across the room, to the wide window on the opposite side of the room. I didn't turn around. If I looked into those cobalt eyes for another second I'd melt into a puddle of stupid, and let everything I've worked for for the last three years go to waste. I heard the door shut, and his footsteps as he walked into the room.

"Mai…" He started, and paused. I heard him distinctly clearing his throat, and waited.

I sighed and turned around to face him, looking at the floor. "Listen Oliver, I get it. There's not much to explain. You hired me out of pity, because we're both orphans. And when you didn't reciprocate my feelings, you let me down the harshest way you could. You were trying to cut the cord as quickly as you could." I said, my eyes cold as I finally looked up at him.

He looked furious. "You think I didn't feel anything for you?" He asked me, saying the words slowly, as though he were speaking with a child.

"You obviously didn't. I was an idiotic high school girl with some ESP. I was interesting for you for a bit, and then you got bored. You found Gene's body and left. He was more important than SPR." I said, sitting on the edge of my bed. My lips were pressed into a hard line, my back stiff.

He walked up to me quickly, pushing me back against the bed and smashing his lips against mine. At first I was in shock, my body freezing as his lips pressed against mine insistently. Just as he was pulling away I reacted, pressing my own lips against his and flipping us over so I was straddling him as I kissed him, closing my eyes and giving into the feelings that I'd been harbouring for four years.

My chest ached, and my hands quivered as they held onto the front of his shirt tightly, and I felt like I was going to burst into flames any second hands moved, seeming to have their own thoughts on the matter, and tangled in his hair just as he flipped me over again. I groaned loudly as his mouth moved from my lips to my neck, suckling and nibbling there until I was squirming beneath him.

"Oliver…" I breathed out as his hands roamed my body, touching any part of me he could reach before settling on my ass, pulling my lower body as close to his as he could.

"Shut up," he growled against my neck, grinding his pelvis against mine, giving me a not-so subtle hint about how he felt currently. He pulled away seconds later, looking as furious as when we'd started. "You stupid girl," he told me, just before he pushed his lips against mine again.

I pulled away, shoving at his chest. "I am not stupid!" I shouted, pushing against him until I was able to straddle him again. "You stupid, narcissistic, asshole," I accused of him, my lips meeting his own neck and biting harshly on the skin there. I nearly quivered when he bucked up into me, his hands on my ass gripping tightly.

"You are stupid," he groaned out to me, his head thrown back against the sheets. He moved to push me back again, but this time he hadn't been paying attention to the edge of the bed and we both tumbled off of it onto the floor, tangled up in each other.

"Ow," I groaned when my head came in contact with the floor, my eyes closing.

"Shit," Oliver cursed, getting up as quickly as he could and picking me up, placing me on the bed. "Are you alright?"

I shrugged, opening my eyes to look at him. "I've had worse," I told him, biting my lip. I was still squirming from when he'd been kissing my neck, the skin tingling and sensitive to the slightest shift in the air. "Really killed the mood, though."

He smirked a condescending smirk, one I had to physically resist the urge to slap off his face. "I got you in the mood, then?" he asked, but his tone had a lilt to it that made me think he knew he had that effect on me.

I rolled my eyes and stood up on my knees on the bed, eye level with him now. "Oliver," I started, letting my hands drift to the collar of his shirt, my fingers dancing along his collarbone. I let my eyes follow my hands for a moment before flitting up to meet his, seeing his pupils dilated. "I could bring you to your knees with nothing but my mouth. Don't push me." I told him, winking before standing up and going to the door.

When I made it to the door and hadn't heard him move, I turned to see him staring at the spot I'd been in moments earlier, blinking owlishly. "Oliver," I called, smirking when his eyes snapped to mine. "Come on," I told him.

When he was by my side again we rejoined the others in the base, ready to listen to their antics as usual.

It took us three more days to wrap up the case. As it would turn out, there wasn't just the one spirit in the house, like we'd originally hoped and planned for. There were six, all of whom were around Akemi's age and had been tormented by their "Grandfather" for years. The little girls were thankfully all able to pass along with mine and Masako's help, so that made my day incredibly better.

Currently I was sitting in the office I shared with Oliver, ignoring the look he had been sending my way for about twenty minutes now, last I checked. I was filing some paperwork, my heels off and under my desk while my stocking-clad feet were propped up on the desk. I wore a deep black pencil skirt and a bright red button up shirt, with the top two buttons undone. My hair was in a slightly mussed up bun on the top of my head, my lips painted a bright red color.

When I looked at the clock and it had been a half hour since the staring started, I sighed, not bothering to look up. "What're you staring at, Oliver?"

He cleared his throat, not bothering to look away from me. "I was wondering if you'd thought anymore on my theory."

I looked up at him then, my eyebrow raising. "You mean the scheme to get me into bed with you?"

His eyes narrowed, seemingly not all that annoyed by my joke. "If that's what you wish to call it, then yes."

I shrugged. "Sure, we can test it out." I felt slightly awkward at the current moment, and that might've been the understatement of the century. We hadn't talked about the intense make out session we'd had on the case, and it was the elephant in the room currently.

"Tonight?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I raised one back, silently challenging him. "If you're in that much of a rush, then sure," I told him, moving to stand and get some tea. "Would you like some tea?" I asked him, mainly out of courtesy. I knew the answer was yes before the words even left my mouth.

"Sure," he told me, turning to look at the mountain of paperwork on his own desk. My desk with a measly three folders looked immaculate compared to his.

When I walked back inside, my three folders had disappeared. I couldn't be sure, but it looked like Oliver's pile had grown in size slightly. "Did you steal my files?" I asked him, moving to perch on my desk rather than in the chair. I placed both tea cups on his desk, since I was sitting on mine and didn't want to knock them over.

His eyes gave nothing away but a spark of mischief. "I don't know what you're talking about," he told me, smirking.

I rolled my eyes, pushing my laptop onto the chair and sprawling across the desk, laying on my back on it. I did this often, when I wanted to think about something. I closed my eyes, letting any thoughts I had locked away come forth.

"Mai," Oliver eventually spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes to find him standing in front of my desk.

I sat up and face him, him towering over me just a bit. "Yes?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

"Would you do me a favor?" he asked, and I thought I saw him go to bite his lip. It must've been my imagination though, because the moment it was there it was gone again.

"What's that?" I asked, suddenly suspicious. He'd never asked me for a favor before, not directly.

"Kiss me," he told me, leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine quickly.

I turned to putty in his hands, my arms going around his neck and my lips pressing against his passionately. I tangled my hands in his hair while his moved to grab my ass yet again, pulling me closer across the desk. His knee forced my legs open and he stood between them, his erection pressing oh-so sweetly against me in a way that had me groaning against his lips.

His hands were just slipping up and under my blouse when there was a shout from the other room, coming from Colin. "Mia! You're projecting again!" His tone was strangled, and I knew I'd accidentally thrown all the lust I was currently feeling at him.

I pulled away from Oliver, my cheeks staining a brilliant shade of red. "Sorry!" I called to him, and I was almost certain that I heard Madoka's laughter in the other office. Looking into Oliver's eyes, I saw the lust I felt mirrored there. I cleared my throat again. "We should probably get back to work…"

He nodded, seeming slightly upset by this. He stepped away from me and went back to sitting at his own desk.

It took me a moment to recover, and I slipped off of my desk, sitting down and picking up my laptop again. If I wasn't doing something I might spontaneously combust. I opened up my emails for the third time that day, and saw that Dr. Davis had still yet to reply to my proposal. This was normal for him though, considering he was out on cases more often than our office.

I sighed, looking around my office for something to do; filing, reading, anything that didn't involve standing up and jumping Oliver's bones. A thought ticked in my mind, and I turned to look at him, projecting my thoughts into his mind. 'Can you hear me?' I sent, connecting our minds so that he could respond the same way.

He'd just been sipping on his tea, and I saw his eyes widen and he nearly choked on the drink in his hand before collecting himself and looking back at me. "How long have you been able to do that?" he asked, his curiosity officially piqued.

'About a year and a half, I think. You can answer telepathically as well, but only because I'm letting you,' I sent him, leaning my head on my desk in my arms.

His eyebrows furrowed and he leant on his desk too, copying my actions. 'Is this why Colin knows to bring you things without you even speaking?'

'Usually. Sometimes he just guesses on what I need,' I told him, yawning into my arm loudly. It was the day after the case, and I hadn't slept for the last three days that we were there; not because of the stubbornness, but because I was determined to finish the case without dreaming about the abused children.

'You should sleep,' he said, and I saw concern in his expression, even if it was halfway hidden by his mask.

'Probably,' I thought, and shrugged. It wasn't that important to me; finding a new case to distract myself with was.

"Mai, go up to your apartment. I'll close the office up in an hour and bring you the key. You need sleep," he said, speaking out loud now.

I sighed, knowing he wouldn't be relenting on the topic no matter what I did, and stood up, taking the key from around my neck and handing it to him. I leant forward and kissed his cheek, mentally sending him a thank you before severing the connection and heading out of the office. Yasu and Collin both waggled their eyebrows at me as I left the office, which I made a point to ignore.

When I got inside the apartment, I left the door slightly open for Oliver to let himself in, and went about getting ready to sleep. I decided to splurge a little, and made myself a bubble bath. The steaming water helped relax my muscles, and I found myself lingering in it for longer than I normally would.

Before I knew it, Oliver was calling out to me from the living room. "Mai!" he called, sounding slightly worried.

"I'll be out in a minute!" I called back to him, rinsing off and climbing out, letting the tub drain. I dried off quickly, putting on a baggy t-shirt and a pair of shorts before walking out and finding him perched on my couch again.

I walked over to him sleepily, sitting next to him and pulling my knees up to my chest. "Hi again," I mumbled, leaning my head on the back of the couch.

He smiled gently at me, and tucked a strand of my wet hair behind my ear. "Ready to sleep?" he asked, and when I nodded he stood, taking my hand and walking with me across the hall to his apartment.

There were still boxes everywhere, I guess because we'd left for the case before he'd had the chance to unpack, but I didn't ask as he lead me into his room. There was a bookshelf filled with journals and the like on one side of the room, and a deep maroon carpet under my feet as I padded across the floor. The bed was covered with soft looking comforters and fluffy looking pillows, all a deep gray in color.

It wasn't as awkward as I'd expected, climbing into his bed and curling up under the covers. It was slightly awkward when he stripped down to his boxers before climbing in after me, but only for a moment. After that, I was stuck staring at the tattoo that covered part of his left arm, and branched towards his chest. It looked like a symbol to protect one's self from demons.

I reached forward hesitantly, my fingers brushing over the lines and tingling slightly as they connected with his skin. I heard him inhale sharply, and looked up at him sleepily. I smiled a small smile, and yawned again. "Goodnight, Oliver," I muttered, before rolling over and closing my eyes.

I was already falling into a deep slumber when his arm wrapped around my middle and pulled me closer to him, and heard him wish me a good night's sleep just before I fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I can't believe we're in England!" Monk exclaimed, smiling brightly as he looked around the airport in wonder. He and Yasu had been extremely hyper throughout the entire flight, which meant that Ayako and myself were equally annoyed with the two of them.

We were in England by invitation of the Davis's, excluding Oliver. He was completely under the impression that bringing the team to England would be catastrophic. The invitation was given under the professor's, Martin that is, claim that he wanted to discuss my proposal to him in more depth. My theory, however, was that Luella just wanted to meet the people her son had gone all the way to Japan for.

"Yes, Monk, you've stated that repeatedly since we got off the plane," I said, walking over to the luggage carousel and waiting for my luggage to come out. I was wearing a black sweater dress with a v-neck neckline, gray leggings, and black heeled boots. My hair was tied back in a tight bun, as usual, and my one colored contact was in.

Oliver walked up next to me and let his fingers brush the back of my hand. You're stressed out, he sent to me via thoughts.

I sighed. Oliver had discovered that if he's touching me, he can send me whatever thoughts he wanted to. Your father has never called me to England just for a proposal. If anything, he comes to Japan to discuss it further. That means Lu has something up her sleeve. I sent back to him, connecting our minds so he wouldn't have to be touching me.

He kept his fingers brushing my hand, regardless of that connection. It'll be fine, Mai, he sent to me, and when I looked at him his eyes were soft and comforting.

I sighed again, grabbing some of our luggage as it rolled past and waiting for one of them to get a luggage cart. "Did the professor happen to tell you where we would be staying throughout the duration of our trip?"

"You'll be staying at the Davis's household," Lin answered before Oliver could.

I felt my nerves spike a little at the prospect; Martin and Luella had treated me like family for a while now, but I was still slightly nervous around them. And how would I even begin to explain that I slept in the same bed as her son almost every night now? I mean sure, I could tell her that it was because he kept away my visions, but she'd probably still find a way to twist that and start coming up with baby names.

We went around to the front after collecting all of our things and going through customs, and got three taxi's. I ended up in the first one with Oliver, Collin, and Lin. Lin was silent for the majority of the ride, but I didn't expect much else from him.

"Mia, can I room with you?" Colin asked me suddenly, and I swear I could hear Oliver's breathing stop from the front seat.

"No." My tone was cold as ice, but I seriously doubted that would matter to Collin. "Why?"

"Because Yasu is going to harass me all night if I'm alone."

"Room with someone with a penis," I told him, looking at my phone. I blinked and then my stupid contact rolled to the side, and started hurting. "Ow! Shit."

"Mai?" I heard Oliver ask from the front seat, but I was bent over towards my knees, already taking out the stupid thing.

"It's nothing, just my contact freaking out."

"Contact?" he asked, sounding confused.

"When my powers acted up for the first time, my eye turned blue. Madoka said that that can happen on occasions," I explained, before sitting up once the contact was out. I blinked at him, watching his expression change from confused to shocked at my eyes.

He didn't say anything else, just turned around and went back to watching the buildings pass us by.

Don't worry about what Colin said. He doesn't see me romantically. I sent to him mentally, hoping that the comment wouldn't lead to him pouting or brooding, as he'd so often done in the past.

Alright, he sent back, and after it became apparent that he wasn't going to say anything else on the matter, I severed the connection once more.

We got to the Davis mansion not too long afterwards, and were promptly ushered inside when it began to pour buckets out of nowhere. That was the one thing I didn't like about visiting London; it was always raining from the day I arrived to the day I departed.

I'd only ever visited the country twice before. There had been a couple of cases that couldn't be attended to by Dr. Martin himself, so he asked that Madoka take care of them and she'd brought me along for the ride.

Walking up to the house, with Oliver in the lead, I couldn't help but feel my nerves spiking again. Sure, I was comfortable around Luella and Martin, but that didn't mean it wasn't nerve wracking to be walking into the home of the man I'd long since harbored feelings for. It was like before they were just Mr. and Mrs. Davis and now they were my boyfriend's parents, even though he wasn't my boyfriend.

Calm down, Oliver projected to me, his hand brushing the outside of mine briefly.

I looked up at him, and saw that he'd let go of his mask briefly. He was conveying all the calmness he felt in his eyes, trying to let me know that I didn't need to worry without verbally saying it. I smiled a small smile at him, turning to look at the door as we walked up the steps towards it.

The mansion was vast, with ornate gardens trailing the edges of it, almost hidden from view by the monster of a house. The large doors creaked open just as we got to the top steps, and I laughed as Oliver was nearly tackled over by his mother.

Luella Davis was a force to be reckoned with, disregarding the fact she only stood at 5'1", and probably weighed less than I did. Her deep black hair, and bright blue eyes were exactly like that of her sons, if not more feminine. She was petite, but had a warm aura around her that could cozy up any room she walked into, and a smile that could brighten any dark corner. "Oh Noll! It's been so long!" she wailed dramatically as she clung to her son, her English accent a stark contrast to what I was used to.

"It's been less than a month, mother," Oliver grumbled, patting his mother's back in a way to show he had finished hugging her ages ago. His English accent, however seemingly impossible, made his voice all the deeper and had me biting my lip to keep from commenting on it.

"Oh!" she huffed, slapping his shoulder affectionately as she pulled away, shifting the light blue, knitted shawl she had draped around her shoulders. She turned to face the group, and I knew the moment her eyes landed on mine that I was about to get the same kind of hug Oliver had. "Mai!" she shouted right before she launched herself at me.

I laughed and hugged her tightly, letting her squeeze me until I felt like I couldn't breathe. She gives the best hugs, I thought to myself briefly, loving the way she made me feel loved in just a hug. "Hello Luella," I muttered, closing my eyes for a moment and revelling in the happy feeling she brought with her. My English wasn't perfect, but I'd almost gotten rid of the pesky accent that travelled along with me.

"Come in, come in," she said as she pulled away, her speech just as energetic as I remembered. She was one of the most fast-paced people I'd met in my entire life, and that included Yasu.

Walking inside, I immediately felt warm. We were ushered around the main hall and to a staircase, leading to the second floor and down a long hallway. Oliver walked besides me the entire time, lagging behind the rest of the group and just taking things in. I got the feeling that even though he told his mom it hadn't been long, he still missed this place as much as she missed him.

"So, these will be your rooms," Luella said, gesturing to a few doors. "You can all pick them out on your own, except that last one on the left. That one's Noll's room." With that she left us to pick out our rooms and unpack. We would be meeting for dinner in a few hours.

I waited for all the others to pick out their rooms, laughing as Yasu tried to follow Monk and Ayako into their room and then Colin into his. I was going to go into the last spare room and claim it as my own, but Oliver had other ideas it seemed.

He grabbed onto my hand and practically dragged me into the room his mother had identified as his, and at my questioning glance he smirked. "No point in making the maids clean an extra room when you'll be sleeping in mine," he stated, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I huffed a little, shaking my head at him. "You could do yourself a favor and actually ask me what I want to do next time," I pointed out, but followed him into the room regardless.

It was nothing like I expected. I expected dark curtains keeping out all the sunlight, and marble floors, and a stiff looking bed. I expected shelves upon shelves of paranormal studies, and maybe a writing desk somewhere around as well, and for all the walls and floors to be dark colors.

Instead, the windows were open wide with light blue curtains tied to the side, letting the gloomy rainy weather look in on the room. There was a light gray carpet underfoot, and the walls were an off white color I couldn't name. There was a bed in the center of the room, with dark grey bedding that looked softer than anything I'd ever laid on before. There were bookshelves lining the walls, but as far as I could tell they were filled purely with fiction.

Do you like it? Oliver asked, his hand still linked with mine.

I looked up at him and smiled widely, the first true smile I'd given him since I'd seen him for the first time. I didn't bother answering, instead choosing to drop my bags and throw myself into his bed, loving the way I smushed into the mattress like I was melting away.

I heard his chuckle, and then I slight sinking of the bed to my left. Lifting up my head, which took a lot of work considering how comfortable I was in that moment, I saw him sitting on the edge of the mattress. He was smiling at me; a real smile that managed to take my breathe away. I hated and loved when he did that; when he blew me away with all the emotions that he normally kept hidden from the rest of the world.

"How do you do that?" I asked him quietly.

"Do what?" he asked, his brows furrowing but the smile not leaving his lips.

"How do you blow me away with just a smile?"

He shook his head, turning his back to me before letting himself fall back onto the mattress next to me. His eyes were closed, and he looked content. "The same way you do it, I suppose," he whispered, his lips barely moving.

This is his happy place, I thought to myself, realizing just how lucky I was to see him in this environment. Normally he was so uptight, and concerned with everything going on around him. Right now though, right now he was content to just lay here with me and leave all the cases outside the door.

I rolled onto my side, curling up next to him and draping an arm across his chest. "Thank you, Oliver," I muttered, closing my eyes.

"For what?" he asked, his arm moving from behind his head to wrap around my shoulders.

For coming back, I thought silently, projecting one last thought to him before I fell asleep.


End file.
